Thin, wispy clouds floated across the illuminated sky as a quiet, soothing wind pushed through the surrounding trees. The half-moon slowly rose across the sky, resting at its peak, casting a pale shine on two cats sitting on a tall, grassy hill. Moonshine reflected off the tom revealing thick muscles beneath is stripped brown fur. Sitting close to him was a pretty white tabby she-cat, her crystal blue gaze locked onto the moon.
"Oh, Gorsewhisker, you can see everything from up here!" She murmured softly, her eyes shifting from dark night sky to the tabby next to her. She leaned against the tom, soaking in his warmth and reassuring scent.
"Yes, my dear, you can." he murmured softly into her ear,"One day we'll be sitting here as our kits play at our paws." He rubbed his nose against his cheek, a purr echoing from his throat.
She pulled away from him, her crystal gaze now clouded with doubt. Her head angled at the sky again, her eyes shut,"You're all I have, you know that right? After Sootfire died…" Windecho trailed off, struggling to continue after the mention of her brothers death.
"Then we will run away!" Gorsewhisker proclaimed, thrusting his muzzle to the sky, "There isn't anything here for me either," his tone softened,"We could leave and never look back. The Clans haven't done anything but take away the ones we love." A brisk wind breezed around the two cats, making the thin pines behind clatter ominously.
"What about your clan? They need you now more than ever after the battle with EarthClan." She leaned against him, aware of the scars that he now bore because of the battle three nights prior. Her heart was in her throat, he was everything to her, and the idea of never seeing him again made her feel sick with loneliness,"You also have Tigertail."
"Ha!" He snorted at the mention of his arrogant, battle crazed brother,"He has been different since I was made deputy." Gorsewhisker shook his head,"Windecho, you're all I need."
"You know how much I love you, right?" She murmured, giving his scruffy cheek a reassuring lick,"Are you sure you want to leave?"
"Of course!" His heart leaped,"We will leave after the Gathering in half a moons time." Fear pricked his pelt, the tip of his fur stood on end out of fear and concern if they were caught.
"Right," she nodded,"I can't wait." Windecho purred as she got to her paws. She began to trot away towards the hillside when she stopped abruptly. Her white tabby fur was on end, a growl rose in her throat as her ears slid back.
Gorsewhisker got to his paws and stalked over to her, his claws unsheathing. His eyes narrowed when he finally caught wind of the stench that had surprised Windecho.
"You're such a disappointment, you know that?" A sneer came from the shadows as a red tabby tom stepped out into the moonlight.
"Tigertail!" He hissed, digging his claws into the soft grass underneath his paws,"Were you spying us?!" Rage flickered in the tabby tom's dark oak eyes.
"It's a good thing I was," Tigertail circled the two cats, his claws shimmering in the moonlight,"You've broken the warrior code, Shellstar won't be too happy about that, now will he?"
Gorsewhisker flinched at the mention of IceClans leader, holding his tongue at the snide comment that popped into his head, instead he just glared at his brother. Windecho stood close to him, her head held high to hide her fear.
"Unless you give up being deputy, every cat will know of this whole affair." Tigertail threatened with a glint of hunger for power in his vivid amber eyes. His long stripped tail curled under Windechos chest as he passed infront of her,"Don't get me wrong, I see the attraction. She is a pretty little thing."
A low growl originated in the back of her throat as her eyes narrowed, becoming angered blue water with a thin black slit. Her claws unsheathed right before she tackled Tigertail to the ground. Windecho held her right paw to his throat, claws extended,"If you tell anycat, don't think I won't kill you." Both Gorsewhisker and Windecho knew that she didn't have the heart to kill anycat, the threat was hopefully enough for Tigertail to leave them alone.
"Do you honestly think that little threat scares me?" He questioned, meeting her angered blue gaze with his own. His body relaxed, giving Windecho a false sense of secuity and let her guard down enough for Tigertail to shove his hind legs into her belly, flinging her several tail-lengths away.
Gorsewhisker reacted, launching himself into Tigertail before he got to Windecho. He dug his claws into the red tabby tom and started to tear into him. His brother fought back just as violently, trying to give Gorsewhisker a crippling wound to his belly. The two toms tussled for several heartbeats, mercilessly clawing at eachother. Several moons of pent-up anger was finally coming out, and certainly not in a peaceful manner.
Gorsewhisker, with all the strength he could muster, shoved Tigertail off of him, sending him smack into a stone with a sickening thud. Guilt surged through Gorsewhisker immediately as he sped over to his brother, realizing with a sinking heart that he was dead.
"What did I do?" He murmured, his voice broken with discorded grief,"We never got along, but I didn't want him dead." Gorsewhisker gazed at Tigertail's body as blood began to pool around him.
"Do you still want to leave?" Windecho whispered quietly in his ear as she stood closely to him, resting her tail on his shoulder reassuringly.
"Of course, I have no choice now, the plans are still the same though, I need to get his body back and at least help with the rebuilding of IceClan's camp." He responded,"Go, go home, clean yourself off first of course." Gorsewhisker gave her a quick lick on the cheek before he grasped Tigertail's scruff gently.
He said nothing he watched Windecho through sorrowful eyes as she trotted away towards FireClan's borders. Concern and worry made his limbs feel heavy, unable to move for a few heartbeats. I just have to get through a couple of days, than we will be together.
"The heart is not always the most trustworthy to listen to," An ominous but eerily familiar voice whispered in his ear. Panic arose through Gorsewhisker, resulting in him releasing Tigertail's scruff. His body hit the ground with a soft thump. He whirled around, only to meet muzzle to muzzle with a black and white tom.
"S-Shellstar?" He stuttered, remorse and shock spread throughout him immediately. The warrior was beginning to question how the injured and old leader had gotten there considering he was wounded fairly badly, until it hit him. Shellstar must have succumbed to his wounds, and his last live must be up.
"Gorsewhisker, it is your time...You have no other option. Iceclan needs you." He murmured, resting his tail on Gorsewhisker's shoulder. Instead of feeling the comforting tail of his fallen leader, there was nothing, only a strange cold that sent a shiver down the tabby's spine. What about our plans? What about me murdering my brother?
"Even with all I've done?" Gorsewhisker shook his head, unable to accept that he would have to lead IceClan, given that he broke the warrior code and killed his brother. His heart sank as he realized that he would never be able to be with Windecho, that he had lost his only chance to be happy.
"Tigertail…" Shellstar trailed off for a few moments, unsure of what to say,"That was an accident, he is was at just at as much fault as you are." The starry tom lifted his head to look Gorsewhisker dead in the eye,"But this thing with Windecho, it has to end, you know that right?"
"I know," the tabby tom sighed, sorrow and lonliness flowed throughout him. He truly lost everything, his mentor, brother, and mate. There was nothing for him but the duty to serve his Clan and be the best possible leader he could be.
Shellstar nodded, his head tossed to the sky as an owl screeched overhead. "StarClan calls." His black and white fur began to fade as he slowly rose into the air where he disappeared within a few heartbeats.
As soon as Shellstar disappeared, Gorsewhisker trudged back to camp, dragging Tigertail along side. Wind rushed through the thick trees, causing them to creepily rattle together. Straining his ears, he could barely hear a rough whisper,"Three become four, led by one who is alone in their own right, brightened by a resurrected fire, comforted by a constant ripple."